Spellbound Ltd
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Spellbound Ltd
This is Waitomo's best glowworm tour! We have masses of glowworms in our display, you see them in complete darkness for maximum impact. Groups size 12 or less - we are not overpriced - cameras are welcome.
Your Spellbound experience begins the moment you climb into our van. Driving to the caves is an highlight in its own right and your arrival is even better, we become immersed in this special limestone landscape by walking down into the Mangawhitikau Gorge where the cave magic begins.
Glowworms make Waitomo famous and Spellbound has the largest display on offer. In addition, we set out to make your glowworm experience very special by ensuring you see glowworms close up, our guide will explain and answer questions and then you will be spellbound by the most amazing glowworm boatride, experienced in total darkness.
This is the display chosen for the Planet Earth's 'CAVES' documentary.
We look after you all the way, refreshments and a toilet stop are provided before the next cave visit.
The Cave of the Spirit is a fully lit walk-through cave and here we show you the special characteristics of our local caves. There's lots of interesting things to see in here and it's a great cave to photograph in with lovely speleothems and really beautiful lighting.
Tour Information
The tour costs $66 per adult
($67.50 from Oct 1, 2010)
Two caves are visited
Group size is small, 12 max
Suitable for people of all ages and average fitness
Duration, 3 1/4 hours
Cameras are allowed
Refreshments are given
Two beautiful above ground walks are included.
Details
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Organisation |
Spellbound LtdCommercial organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Waitomo |
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Coordinates |
Caving
Reviews
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5.0/5
Spellbound Glowworm and Cave Tours- spectacular!
Nice small group and very knowledgeable guide. Best money we have spent on an activity in a long time.
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4.5/5
We had a fantastic experience with Spellbound Glow Worm Tours!
Pete and the staff are friendly and very accomodating especially with our 2 and 5 year old children!
Loved the caves and the boat ride was a bonus!
Thanks so much!
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5.0/5
Well guided tours around two Waitomo caves, the glow worm boat ride was magical.
Highly recommend!
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5.0/5
My family and myself visited 3 caves whilst on a 3 night stay in Waitomo.
The 5 of us agreed that, for glow worm splendour, Spellbound was the best. All the caves were beautiful in different ways but Spellbound was the most magical. The bus trip, the cave walk and the boat ride, under a ceiling of glow worms, was awesome.
Peter was very knowledgeable and showed us the worms up close, describing their life cycle, diet and the reason for the glow. Our boys, aged 10 and 12 were fascinated, as were we all.
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5.0/5
An amazing experience, from the moment we stepped into the van, Pete gave us a commentary all the way to the caves.
His in-depth knowledge of the glow worms and tour of the caves is well worth every cent and we will definitely come again.
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5.0/5
We had a great time on our trip to see the Glowworm caves with Spellbound.
Our guide was very knowledgeable not only of the history of the caves, local lore, and science of the "glowworms," but also of my random questions regarding plants and other animals.
The experience of being in the caves and seeing the surreal glow of the "worms" in the dark, quiet place was...magical. I felt as if I were looking up at the sky and seeing new constellations.
That the Spellbound company is local and helping tourism in a more personal way, is just one more plus!
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4.5/5
We did the trip on the 19th March and both thoughly enjoyed it.
Our tour guide was great with a nice sense of humour and the caves were spectacular. The operation had a really nice Kiwi down to earth feel about it and was excellent value for money.
We wish you and your Whanau all the best for the future in these trying times.
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5.0/5
This was an excellent trip and very good value for money.
Although up to 12 people can go on each trip, we were the only two on this one at 9.00am. Norm is very knowledgeable about the area and about the caves. He ensures that you really experience the impact that Glowworms have on your sight. Nothing is rushed and the tranquil trip down the underground river under a canopy of Glowworms is quite magical. We also enjoyed the cup of tea/coffee and biscuits between trips to the caves. The second cave is also fascinating for very different reasons. It’s interesting to see the bones of different creatures who have made their way down to the caves, particularly the moa bird whose remains have been dated as over 38000 years old! This feels like a very personal and privileged tour and we are delighted to have experienced it.
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5.0/5
This should be on your Bucket List to do once in your lifetime.
The view of the glowworms is mesmerising when viewed from the boat. First Class Experience.
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3.0/5
Very nice glowworm tour - would be even better if cameras or at least flashes were forbidden.
After each flash you need a couple of minutes to see in the dark again.
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4.5/5
We had a fantastic experience with Spellbound Glow Worm Tours!
Pete and the staff are friendly and very accomodating especially with our 2 and 5 year old children!
Loved the caves and the boat ride was a bonus!
Thanks so much!
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5.0/5
Spellbound Glowworm and Cave Tours- spectacular!
Nice small group and very knowledgeable guide. Best money we have spent on an activity in a long time.
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5.0/5
My family and myself visited 3 caves whilst on a 3 night stay in Waitomo.
The 5 of us agreed that, for glow worm splendour, Spellbound was the best. All the caves were beautiful in different ways but Spellbound was the most magical. The bus trip, the cave walk and the boat ride, under a ceiling of glow worms, was awesome.
Peter was very knowledgeable and showed us the worms up close, describing their life cycle, diet and the reason for the glow. Our boys, aged 10 and 12 were fascinated, as were we all.
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5.0/5
Well guided tours around two Waitomo caves, the glow worm boat ride was magical.
Highly recommend!
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4.5/5
We did the trip on the 19th March and both thoughly enjoyed it.
Our tour guide was great with a nice sense of humour and the caves were spectacular. The operation had a really nice Kiwi down to earth feel about it and was excellent value for money.
We wish you and your Whanau all the best for the future in these trying times.
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5.0/5
We had a great time on our trip to see the Glowworm caves with Spellbound.
Our guide was very knowledgeable not only of the history of the caves, local lore, and science of the "glowworms," but also of my random questions regarding plants and other animals.
The experience of being in the caves and seeing the surreal glow of the "worms" in the dark, quiet place was...magical. I felt as if I were looking up at the sky and seeing new constellations.
That the Spellbound company is local and helping tourism in a more personal way, is just one more plus!
-
5.0/5
This was an excellent trip and very good value for money.
Although up to 12 people can go on each trip, we were the only two on this one at 9.00am. Norm is very knowledgeable about the area and about the caves. He ensures that you really experience the impact that Glowworms have on your sight. Nothing is rushed and the tranquil trip down the underground river under a canopy of Glowworms is quite magical. We also enjoyed the cup of tea/coffee and biscuits between trips to the caves. The second cave is also fascinating for very different reasons. It’s interesting to see the bones of different creatures who have made their way down to the caves, particularly the moa bird whose remains have been dated as over 38000 years old! This feels like a very personal and privileged tour and we are delighted to have experienced it.
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5.0/5
An amazing experience, from the moment we stepped into the van, Pete gave us a commentary all the way to the caves.
His in-depth knowledge of the glow worms and tour of the caves is well worth every cent and we will definitely come again.
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5.0/5
This should be on your Bucket List to do once in your lifetime.
The view of the glowworms is mesmerising when viewed from the boat. First Class Experience.
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5.0/5
A tour well done by professionals , the walks are easy , my 7 year old had no problem.
The guide Zane was fantastic , well informed , with a wealth of knowledge . The time flies . Groups aren't large , max 12 , so everyone gets a great view of everything .
Being a bit unsure of what to expect , this was perfect & all you need & more . Thanks so much for making my sons day & of course ourself . 5 Stars
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5.0/5
Our guide, Zane, shared his knowledge of the rich history on the region, its plants and animals, as well as descriptions of the formation and growth of the caves, the geology of the surrounding areas
, the life cycle and behavior of glow worms, and much more. The walk into the glow-worm cave with was spectacular, and made more so during the magical boat ride that was like looking at the milky way at night - it was enchanting. Our tour of the dry cave with bones was different - kind of creepy but with very interesting information on the cave formation and stories that included the twice rescued cow. Zane's stories were educational, humorous, and entertaining. Our time passed too quickly. I thought this was one of the highlights of my trip to NZ. The caves as presented by Zane provided an experience that I will carry with me and share with friends.
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5.0/5
We were literally spell-bound by our Spellbound experience!
From the moment we met our guide, Zane, we were entertained to a rich history lesson on the region, with descriptions of the formation and growth of the caves, the geology of the surrounding areas, the life cycle and behavior of glow worms, and much more. The ~20 minute bus ride through the magnificent countryside was a joy, the visit to the glow-worm cave with its the ride in the inflatable dinghy was spectacular, and the tour of a second, dry cave, very interesting, with a wealth of information on the various phenomena that drive the cave formation and growth as imparted by Zane that kept us enthralled. The 3+ hours passed all too quickly - this has to be one of the best tours of any kind that we have taken, and we attribute it to not only the call group size (there were only 11 of us), in keeping with the overall company philosophy, but also to the untiringly enthusiastic and knowledgable (and humorous!) Zane. If we could rate him higher than a '10', we would most certainly do so! We recommend Spellbound very highly indeed to anyone interested in having a truly exceptional experience visiting the glowworm caves in the Waitomo area.
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5.0/5
Today I had a memorabele encounter with the glowworms of Waitomo.
Beautiful! Also the other cave we visites. And such a friendly and well informed guide Norman is!
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5.0/5
What an amazing day...the weather wasn't all that great but this didn't matter one bit.
Our guide Mangu , a local that is obviously passionate about his home town was informative, natural and not at all trying to upsell. We did two cave walks and all up it took just over 3 hours, our group was only 12 people and we had both the cave tours to ourselves. This tour isn't rushed or cramped. We have done other guided trips in Waitomo and Spellbound in my view beats the other guided tours by far as it's more personal , less busy and the company really looks after it's natural asset. We took our 5 year old daughter and it was perfectly fine for her.....just remember to take a booster seat for the van ride and maybe some snacks. Thank you for the amazing experience today.
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5.0/5
Good price!
Good value! Tour is fun. Small group of tour allows plenty of time to look around and take photos. Highly recommended
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5.0/5
Fantastic cave tour!
Spent a lot of time in both caves. Very friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. So glad we booked with Spellbound. One of the highlights of our trip.
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5.0/5
It is an extraordinary place to know.
Natural and unique show, The guide has the knowledge and kindless that allow the visitors to enjoy each step inside the caves.
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5.0/5
fabulous trip, made more special by our guide Zane, who made the experience very personal, informative and entertaining.
Highly recommended, thank you
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4.5/5
Un descubrimiento maravilloso.
Trato inigualable, ameno, intimo, muy profesional. Si quieres visitar las cuevas de Waitomo, este es menos turístico, con más dedicación al grupo y las cuevas son impresionantes.
An amazing surprise. Incomparable treatment, good entertainment, intimate and very professional. If you would like to visit Waitomo Caves, this tour is less touristic, more personalised attention and the caves are awesome
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5.0/5
Tour was so interesting right from the start.
Tour was so interesting right from the start. to the finish. Caves were fantastic. Loved the small group of 12. Very knowledgeable guide. Just amazing the whole tour thank you Norm
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5.0/5
The Spellbound experience was the highlight of my travels in New Zealand.
The tourist benefits greatly from having a limit of 12 tourists at a time with an expert local guide
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5.0/5
This was a stunning cave experience and we highly recommend to visit glowworm caves with Spellbound.
Spellbound Glowworm & Cave Tours
Tour experience in March 2019
The tours are always in small groups, so you are not disturbed by a big crowd and can really enjoy the spectacular views of the glow worms which cover the whole ceiling of the first cave. Our guide Mieke was very passionate and gave us a lot of informations all along the tour. The second cave we visited was also incredibly beautiful. Thanks again for this amazing tour.
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5.0/5
Spellbound tours was recommended by a friend and our guide and experience certainly didn’t disappoint.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and engaging. The glow worm caves is a must see so I would highly recommend you see it with this tour group.
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5.0/5
An outstanding tour with an excellent guide (Zane).
Glow worms aplenty but so much more. Cannot recommend more highly.
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5.0/5
Well worth it.
We had a young lady to guide us, and she explained things of interest, and answered questions, and kept us safe! Excellent view of the glowworms, and also of the stalactites. Close-up view of eels...even patted one!
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4.0/5
The glow worm cave tour was a unique experience, made all the better by our informative and very jovial host Norm.
Having only ten people on the tour made it much more personal and less rushed. For those who are avid cave fans, you might be disappointed by the caves themselves as the the formations were not as impressive as many we have seen, however the glow worms were amazing and seeing them by boat was a fantastic experience. We are glad we chose this tour.
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5.0/5
Spellbound Caves Tour , Waitomo .
Excellent tour , well worth the money . Norm gave us an informed commentary as we drove to the caves through beautiful countryside and inside the caves . His sense of humour involved everyone . Only 12 per group so a more intimate experience .
Definitely a must do . Highly recommend Spellbound .
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5.0/5
Fantastic experience.
Our 13 and 7 year old girls loved it as we did. Very knowledgeable guide and appreciated the small group (didn't feel like a cattle call).
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5.0/5
Mark was an excellent guide!
Shared so much about not just the glowworm caves. A really great experience.